1868 FC Looks to Lock up Top Spot in Group A against Las Vegas Lights FC
September 29, 2020 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Reno 1868 FC News Release
Reno 1868 FC hosts Las Vegas Lights FC this week in the final leg of the 2020 Silver State Cup, presented by Nevada Donor Network. Reno looks to clinch the top spot in Group A with a win, and inch one step closer to securing the top overall seed in the 2020 USL Championship Playoffs.
Reno enters on a hot streak, with an eight-game unbeaten streak and fresh off a 1-1 draw against Sacramento Republic FC on Saturday. The streak has catapulted Reno into first place in Group A, and the second-most points in the entire USL.
Wins in Reno's final two games would secure the top overall seed in the USL Championship Playoffs, which begin next week. Reno has never finished with the highest point-total in the league.
Also on the line is the Silver State Cup, which has never gone to Las Vegas in the short history of the rivalry. Reno won this season's first matchup 1-0 in August, meaning a win or draw would keep the Cup in Northern Nevada once again. Should Las Vegas win by more than one goal, it would go to Lights FC. But if the Lights win by a single goal, the winner would be decided by the fourth tiebreaker: disciplinary points. Thanks to Vegas' 15 fouls, and Raul Mendiola's yellow card, in the previous game, Reno has the edge there 8-18.
History is well on Reno's side however, with the boys in blue having never lost to Las Vegas. Through six games, Reno is 4-0-2. Las Vegas also has not scored a single goal on Reno since September 22, 2018 - at kickoff on Wednesday, it will have been over 730 days since Las Vegas last scored against Reno. Unless of course you choose to count the own goal Lights FC scored last season in a 2-0 Reno win at Cashman Field.
Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. PT from Greater Nevada Field. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+, Nevada Sports Net and ESPN Radio 94.5. More information about how to watch the game from home is available at https://www.reno1868fc.com/page/show/5906159-where-to-watch, and information on where to participate in in-person watch parties can be found at https://www.reno1868fc.com/-watchparties.
Scouting report - Las Vegas Lights FC
* Las Vegas enters the game in last place in Group B with a 2-8-4 record and a -8 goal differential.
* Lights FC has yet to win on the road this season, going 0-6-1 away from southern Nevada.
* Vegas has surrendered the eighth-most goals in the league this season, allowing 28.
* Lights FC enters on a seven-game winless streak.
Inside 1868 FC
- Reno is unbeaten in eight-straight games, the longest such streak of the season. The eight-game streak is tied for the second-longest unbeaten streak in club history, and longest since 2018. If Reno avoids a loss on Wednesday, it will trail only the club-record 16-game unbeaten streak from 2018. Additionally, Reno is unbeaten this season when scoring even a single goal.
- With a win against Tacoma two weeks ago, Reno locked up a fourth-straight trip to the USL Championship Playoffs. The club has yet to miss the playoffs in any of its first four years of existence. Reno's focus now turns to securing home playoff games, first by securing the top spot in Group A. A win against Las Vegas will clinch the group, and a home playoff game in the first round. If the boys in blue win out, they can secure the top spot in the entire USL Championship and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
- Reno and Silver State Cup rival Las Vegas Lights FC meet for the second time this season, with Reno topping the Lights 1-0 in Las Vegas at the start of August. Reno can win the Cup for the third-straight year with a win or draw, and currently leads the first four tiebreakers in the case of a Las Vegas one-goal win. Should Las Vegas win by more than one goal, the Lights will win the Cup by way of the first tiebreaker.
- Reno has never lost to Las Vegas, going 4-0-2 against the team down south with a +8 goal differential. Additionally, 1868 has not allowed a goal to Vegas since September 22, 2018. At kickoff on Wednesday, it will be 739 days since Las Vegas last scored against Reno.
- Reno's 32 points are tied for the second-most in the entire USL, trailing only Western Conference opponent San Antonio FC's 33, with San Antonio having playing one more game. The +21 goal differential is third in the USL, trailing only Phoenix (23) and Pittsburgh (28).
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